The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Identifying and engaging family members are critical components of providing effective child welfare services to children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect.

(b) For Indian children subject to an Indian child custody proceeding, as defined in subdivision (d) of § 224.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, dedicated and specialized efforts for family finding, engagement, and support are critical to promote the stability and security of Indian tribes and families, to comply with the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. § 1901 et seq.) and other applicable federal and state law, and to protect the best interests of the child.

(c) Often, family members may become caregivers for children or may be able to provide other help and support to children and families on an ongoing basis.

(d) Supporting dedicated and specialized efforts for family finding, engagement, and support has been shown to increase the success of identifying relative caregivers and engaging relatives and other supportive adults to support children and families during and after reunification, and can support permanency in cases where reunification cannot occur. These dedicated and specialized efforts have proven to increase placements with and connections to relatives up front when children first enter out-of-home care, and to increase legal and relational permanency for children who have been in out-of-home care for a longer time.

(Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 573, Sec. 24. (AB 207) Effective September 27, 2022.)